Reel for taking up and paying out wire.



H. TROTTBR & B. BELL.

REEL FOR TAKING UP AND PAYING OUT WIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914.

1,1 20, 172. Patented Dec. 8, 1914,

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illtllfTED @TATlEtd @Fldlflhh HENRY TROTTER AND ELJSZER BELL, OF ANDERSON, MISSOURI.

REEL FOR TAKING UP AND PAYING OUT XVIRE.

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Application filed July 3, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY Tno'r'rnn and ELMER BELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Mc- Donald and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reels for Taking Up and Paying Out /Vire, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved reel for taking up and paying out wire, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby long lengths of wire can be conveniently handled without danger of twisting and bending the same so as to detract from the value thereof.

A further object of the invention is to pro 'vide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which is of a portable nature and can be readily moved from place to place, which admits of the coils of wire being readily applied to the reel or removed therefrom, and which includes novel guide means for causing the wire to wind evenly upon the drum as it is taken up.

Nith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a reel for taking up and paying out wire, constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an enlarged side elevation of the laterally swinging guide arm. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the brake band releasing lever, showing the same by full lines in inoperative position, and by dotted lines in operative position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

The supporting framework upon which the mechanism to be hereinafter described is Specification of Letters Patent.

and 10* of the short shafts 7 and 10.

Patented Dec. 8, 191%.

Serial No. 848,932.

mounted, is shown in the present instance as composed of parallel and horizontally disposed side bars 1 connected by the transverse strips 2 and supported by the legs 3. The side bars 1 are each provided at points between its ends with a hearing t. A short shaft 7 is journaled in one of the bearings l, said shaft being formed with an angular socket 7 at its inner end and being provided at its outer end with a pulley 8 which is provided with sprocket teeth 9. A correspond ing short shaft 10 which is in alineinent with the shaft 7 is journaled within the other bearing -l, said shaft having an angular socket at .its inner end 10 and being provided at its outer end with a crank handle 11. A brake drum 1+1 may be applied to the inner end of the shaft 10. It will also be observed that each of the sockets 7 and 10 have one side thereof cut away to provide a lateral opening.

The body of the drum 12 is preferably tapered so that coils of wire can be readily removed therefrom or placed thereon, and the large end of the drum or reel is formed with a fixed head 13, while the small end of the drum or reel 12 is provided with a removable head 15. Suitable fastening members such as the screws 16 may be provided for holding the removable head 15 in position, although this head can readily be dismounted when it is desired to place a coil of wire upon the reel or remove it therefrom. Extending longitudinally through the body of the drum or reel 12 is a bar 50, the ends of the bar projecting beyond the ends of the drum to provide polygonal lugs 50 adapted to be received withinthe angular sockets 7 The reel is detachably applied to these short shafts and in order to place it in position or remove it therefrom the short shafts are turned into such a position that the lateral openings of the sockets T and 10 provided by the cut away sides thereof face upwardly. The polygonal lugs 50 at opposite ends of the reel 12 may then be dropped downwardly into the sockets 7 and 10 through the lateral openings in the sides thereof, or lifted out of the said sockets. in order to lock the polygonal lugs 50 within the respective sockets 7 and 10 suitable keys 51 may be provided which pass through corresponding openings in the polygonal lugs 50 and sides of the sockets 7 and 10.

These keys 51, however, can be readily removed for the purpose of placing the reel 12 in position or removing it therefrom.

A brake band 17 which is suitably secured at 18 to the main frame passes around the brake drum 1iand is carried to one end of the frame, where it passes under a tension bar 19 and has the extremity thereof secured to a shaft 20. A. handle 21 is applied to one end of the shaft 20 for winding or unwinding the ends of the brake band as may be found desirable, a suitable pawl and ratchet being employed in connection with the shaft 20 to prevent backward rotation thereof after an adjustment has once been ob tained. Springs 23 engage opposite ends of the brake band tension bar 19 and normally force the same downwardly so as to draw the brake band tightly around the brake drum 1%.. An L-shaped releasing lever 2%, shown more clearly by Fig. 6, is pivoted under one end of the bar 19, the long 1 thereof being provided at its extremity with a handle 25, while the short arm thereof is provided with a notched seat :26. When the notched arm of the releasing lever is swung downwardly away from the bar 19, the springs 23 force the bar downwardly so as to tighten the brake band around the brake drum, although when the notched arm of the lever is swung upwardly, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 6, until the end of the bar is seated in the notch 26, the bar is moved upwardly against the action of the spring 23 so as to relieve the tension in the brake band 17 and release the brake.

For the purpose of causing the wire to wind evenly upon the reel, a laterally swinging guide arm 27 is employed, said arm being pivoted at 28 to a bracket 29 upon a transverse bar 30. The upper end of the guide arm 27 is formed with a fork 31 through which the wire passes as it is wound upon or unwound from the reel. A shaft 32 connects he two arms of the fork 31 at the ends thereof and a spring flap 33 is hinged thereon, a spring beingprovided which holds the flap yieldably within the fork,

although it is adapted to swing momentarily.

in either direction when a splice or enlarged portion in the wire passes through the guide 01K. The lower end of the spring flap 33 n ay be notched at for cobperation with the base of the fork 31 to provide a guide eye through which the wir must pass and be directed in its movements thereby as it is wound upon or unwound from the reel.

A pulley 36 corresponding to the pulley 8 of the shaft 10 is mounted upon one end of the shaft 30. said pulley being provided with sprocket teeth 37. An endless belt 38 passes around the two pullevs 36 and 8 and is formed with a series of openings 39 to engage the teeth 37 of the pulley 36 and the teeth 9 of the pulley 8.- These openings 39 are arranged in a straight line, although the edges 38 of the belt 38 are inclined back and forth so as to be disposed at an inclination to the line of movement of the belt defined by the row of perforations 39. This endless belt 38 passes loosely through a loop at the end of a link l1 which projects latorally from the guide arm 27 and is pivotally connected at 42 to an intermediate part thereof. One side 40 of the loop it) may be hinged as indicated li) so that it can be swung outwardly to open the loop -l0 for the purpose of inserting the belt 38 therein or removing it therefrom. A suitable latch l0 may be provided for normally holding the swinging side of the loop lOin a closed position. The ends of the loop 40 engage the inclined edges 38 of the endless belt 38 so that as the belt travels upon the pulleys 37 and 8 a longitudinal back and forth movement is imparted to the link &1.

This serves to swing the guide arm 27 back and forth so that the wirepa ssing through the fork thereof is wound evenly upon the reel 12. The spring flap 33 which is mounted within the'fork 31 normally holds the wire at the base of the fork, although when a spliced portion or the like reaches the guide fork the spring flap 33 will temporarily swing to one side to admit of the said spliced portion passing through the fork.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. A device of the character described ineluding a frame, a shaft journaled thereon, a reel having anoperative connection with the shaft, means for'turning the reel, a pulley upon the shaft, a second pulley, an endless belt passing around the two pulleys and formed with edges which are inclined from side to side with respect to the direction of movement of the belt, a transversely moving guide arm provided with guide means for engaging wire or the like wound upon the reel, and means carried by the guide arm for engagement with the inclined edges of the belt to actuate the guide arm.

2. A device ofthe character described including a main frame, a shaft journaled thereon, a reel having an operative connection with the shaft, means forturning'the reel, a pulley applied to the shaft, a second pulley, sprocket teeth projecting from the two pulleys, an endless belt passing around the two pulleys and provided with a series of openings adapted to engage the sprocket teeth thereof, the edges of the belt being inclined from side to side with respect to the direction of movement of the belt, a trans versely swinging guide arm provided with guide means for engaging wire or the like being wound upon the reel. and a link having one endthereof pivotally connected to the swinging guide arm, while the opposite end thereof is formed with a loop which loosely receives the endless belt and is acted upon by the inclined edges thereof to swing the guide arm back and forth.

3. A device of the character described in cluding a main frame, a reel, means for mounting the reel upon the main frame, means for turning the reel, a transversely movable guide arm having a forked end, a flap pivotally mounted within the forked end of the guide arm for holding wire or the like passing through the fork at the base thereof, yielding means normally holding the flap in operative position but permitting the same to swing in either direction as required, and means for actuating the transversely movable guide arm.

4i. A device of the character described including a main frame, a shaft journaled thereon, a reel having an operative connection with the shaft, means for turning the reel, a pulley applied to the shaft, a second. pulley, sprocket teeth projecting from the two pulleys, an endless belt passing around the pulleys and formed with a series of openings engaging the sprocket teeth thereof, the edges of the endless belt being inclined from side to side with respect to the direction of movement of the belt, a transversely swinging guide arm having a forked end, a swinging flap mounted within the forked end of the guide arm for normally holding the wire or like at the base of the fork, and a link member having one end thereof loosely connected to the swinging guide arm, while the opposite end thereof is formed with a loop loosely receiving the endless belt so as to be acted upon by the inclined edges thereof to swing the guide arm back and forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY TROTTER. ELMER BELL.

Witnesses:

J. A. Gnnn'rnnn, R. L. Bonn.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Eatents,

Washington, D. C." 

